WIREADD

Sustainable production of complex geometries using additive manufacturing from metal wire.

Description

The use of additive manufacturing, an innovative technology that is revolutionising the manufacturing sector, is becoming increasingly widespread.
The WIREADD project, with the contribution of partners Laser Machine Network, Libellula, Stems-CNR and Politecnico di Torino, focused on the sustainable production of complex geometries using additive manufacturing from metal wire.
The aim of the project was to achieve industrial development and sustainable production of steel and titanium alloys using AM technologies characterised by high deposition rates such as LAMWD (Laser Arc Metal Wire Deposition) and WAAM (Wire Arc Additive Manufacturing) even for complex components.
These wire-based processes offer several advantages, such as good material properties, the possibility of large-volume deposition, as well as significant cost reductions due to efficient material consumption and shorter processing cycles.

Result to be enhanced

During the project, AM processes from wire were optimised, both in terms of equipment and process parameters. A coaxial deposition head was designed and manufactured to allow directional independence from the welding directions, , and the addition of the laser to the process (LAMWD technique) resulted in higher deposition rates as well as greater definition of the workpiece. During the research project, various structures were generated with a wide variety of operating parameters and deposition strategies, which were then introduced into the CAM also developed in the project. These samples were finally analysed by comparing microstructure, processability and mechanical properties with the raw materials. Despite some difficulties at the start and end points of deposition, the process was able to generate medium-sized artefacts of complex geometry without noticeable difficulties.

Why is it important?

Reducing environmental impact was a crucial aspect of the project.
Using a full life cycle analysis (LCA), the advantages and limitations of wire additive technologies were evaluated in comparison to traditional material processing techniques. The results showed that this solution offers numerous advantages, not only allowing the creation of more complex geometries and the development of customised components in less time, but especially by significantly reducing waste materials and primary resources.
The use of additive manufacturing for the production of complex, lightweight components is therefore an important step towards a more ecologically sustainable future.